HONG KONG (SE): The Yim Tin Tsai Art Festival is scheduled to be held from November 30 to December 29 at Yim Tin Tsai, Sai Kung.
The festival is part of a three-year pilot scheme of the Tourism Commission of the Hong Kong to turn the island into an open museum, while the Hulu Culture is responsible for the organisation of the events. The initiative is supported by the Diocese of Hong Kong as well as former villagers.
The theme Sky, Earth and Man will be adopted for the three-year festival to highlight the relationship between people, spirituality and nature on the island as well as the simplicity and hospitality of Hakka people there.
Through the cooperation of local artists and former villagers in Yim Tin Tsai, the first stage of the festival will introduce the history and culture of the island through different art and cultural activities, as well as tours to experience nature. A total of 17 pieces of art created by artists and tertiary students will be showcased.
Settled by the Chan clan during the 19th century from Yim Tin, now part of the Yantian District of Shenzhen, the Yim Tin Tsai village showed how Catholicism and Hakka culture could coexist in harmony.
The island’s residents started being baptised in 1866 and all were later baptised by 1875.
A chapel was set up by St. Joseph Freinademetz in 1890. Known as St. Joseph’s Chapel, it was given the Award of Merit by the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2006. Residents gradually moved away from the island in the last century.
The curator of the festival, Simon Go Man-ching, founder of Hulu Culture, expressed his hopes that the festival would lead people to appreciate the artwork and understand the message of the Catholic faith displayed through them. Participants will also be able to take guided tours visiting different religious spots and nature locations and familiarise themselves with the island from an historical as well as an ecological point of view.
Other cultural activities include Hakka tea cake making workshops, salt-making workshops, prayer services and musical performances.
Online registration is available starting in mid-November. Details can be found in the website of the festival at: www.YimTinTsaiArtsFestival.hk.
